Cabinet and enclosure designs, such as for example, enclosures for electronic components require a pad or foundation upon which the cabinet is mounted. The pad serves to support, locate, and restrain the cabinet in place.
Typically, pads consists of a template secured in a pre-cast or site-cast concrete foundation. Pouring concrete for either type of pad requires the building of a form, usually wooden, which contains the concrete until the concrete has "setup" or cured. The building of forms, pouring of concrete and finishing the concrete for such pads requires skilled craftspersons and many hours of labor.
Pre-cast pads have been utilized for foundations for enclosures. Such pre-cast pads are poured and cured at a central location utilizing reusable forms. Once cured, the pad is transported to the enclosure site. Pre-cast pads, although simplifying the manufacturing process, still required skilled craftspersons to pour and finish the concrete. An additional style of pad is a "bunker" style pad which is partially buried below ground level and serves multiple functions, such as a foundation for an enclosure, as well has having open space within the pad to accommodate cabling and storage. The bunker style pad requires internal structure to support the enclosure and must be watertight or include a method of drainage to remove ground water and/or seepage.
A need has thus arisen for a support structure for an electronic enclosure that is easy to assemble such that assembly can be accomplished on-site with minimal skilled labor.